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VUDA gets recognition at national level

Proud moment:Minister for Tourism J.Geetha Reddy and VUDA Vice-Chairman B.Sreedhar receiving national tourism award from Vice-President Hamid Ansari at New Delhi on Wednesday.

Staff Reporter

It bags award for provision of amenities at tourist destinations

VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) has been awarded the National Tourism Award by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India for 2008-09.

The Ministry has selected VUDA for the special award in the ‘Best Civic Management of a Tourist Destination in India' category for green practices.

There are only two awards in the category. While one award was jointly won by Tranquebar (Tarangambadi) in Tamil Nadu and Yanam in Pondicherry and the other was bagged by VUDA.

Andhra Pradesh Minister for Tourism J. Geetha Reddy and VUDA Vice-Chairman B. Sreedhar received the award from Vice-President Hamid Ansari at a function at Vignan Bhavan, New Delhi, on Wednesday.

Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja and the Minister of State Sultan Ahmed, and Secretary, Tourism, Sujith Benarjee were present. VUDA Divisional Forest Officer B.V.A. Krishna Murthy also attended the function at New Delhi.

Expressing happiness on receiving the award, Mr. Sreedhar said it was in recognition of the developments and amenities provided at all its tourism destinations.

User-friendly

VUDA, the second largest urban development authority in AP and the third largest in the country, has now earned recognition at national level with the award, he added.

The user-friendly amenities and arrangements, maintenance of facilities, waste management practices, encouragement of re-use and re-cycling systems, care for environment and green practices at Kailasagiri, Thotlakonda, VUDA Park and Submarine Museum have been considered and the award announced. The continuous efforts of the urban forestry wing and engineering officials under the supervision of B.V.A. Krishna Murthy, DFO, have made VUDA's tourism spots user-friendly, according to a VUDA release.